JILL'S BIOGRAPHY: My Personal Life
The only child of Donald Townsend & Julie (Coulter) Townsend, I grew up in the industrial steel mill town of Weirton, West Virginia. A child of the Disco era, Donna Summer's "On The Radio: Greatest Hits Volumes I & II" & The Original Soundtrack from "Saturday Night Fever" on LP Records were the soundtrack of my youth as I frequented the local roller skating rink every week! Our "rink" was at the Weirton Community Center where on select days of the week the huge basketball court was transformed into a Boogie Wonderland! That carefree Roll-A-Rama Hustle feeling I felt circling the skating dance floor also carried into other aspects of my life, including my love of art!
I was drawn to creativity from the minute I left the safety of my Mother's womb! Some of my most fond memories as a little redheaded girl are creating alongside my Mom. She would be stitching up a storm on her latest sewing project & I would be beside her with my trusty crayons scribbling madly away in my coloring books. I proudly presented my finished masterpieces to my Father who always praised & commented on how neat & tidy my pages were...always staying within the lines!
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After high school, I pursued a formal art education & in 1991 I graduated from The Art Institute Of Pittsburgh with an Associate Degree in Graphic Design/Color Design (Minor). After college, I was recruited by the Creegan Animation Factory in Steubenville, Ohio. Creegan's was the largest manufacturer of giant puppets, audio-animatronics, & wearable costume characters in the United States! Some of Creegan's esteemed clientele included Disney World, Sea World, Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort, Hershey's Chocolate World, as well as shop designs for casinos like Excalibur & The Venetian in Las Vegas. It was a joy working in their art department. My duties were varied & changed daily. One day I would be decorating Christmas trees, the next day I spent hours painting movie & set props...I even ran the retail shop on occasion!
Over the years I have shared my artistic talent & gifts with others. Performing endeavors for Family & Friends...most times free of charge, all for fun. I have drawn family pet portraits, illustrated company logos, & painted marketing signage. Here is a small collection of my animal inspired artwork:
Nowadays, my creative pursuits keep me closely involved in the community where I reside & call home: Monaca, Pennsylvania. My husband Noah & I are the Creative Directors for the annual "Beaver County Christmas Extravaganza"! Noah & I are an unstoppable tag-team design duo that has imagineered 7 award-winning themed Christmas trees & 2 spectacular wreaths over the years! Every year we donate our designs which are then auctioned off to the highest bidder.
In addition to our Festival Of Trees designing duties, we also create huge stand in photo props to be displayed...Noah is the skillful carpenter & I am in charge of the artistic drawing & painting. We even design & drive the promotional event float in local parades! We wear many hats for this organization: Design Consulting, Marketing Gurus, Parade Float Crew, Logistical Advisors...WE DO IT ALL!!!
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Proceeds from this fundraiser support the Beaver County Children & Youth Services Advisory Board in helping provide scholarships, coats, shoes, summer camps & additional support for children under the care of the Children & Youth Services Agency of Beaver County. The proceeds also support the volunteer effort of the U.S. SARR Corps in the recovery of children & adults who suddenly go missing. The organization also proactively provides assistance to victims, families, & social services agencies when they need help with lost or exploited individuals.
Another community project I participate in is "Beaver County Rocks"! We are a local group of creative painters & hiders. We paint rocks & hide rocks as a random act of kindness to bring a little unexpected smile to someone's day. The painters post pictures of the rocks they hide. The finders posts pictures of the rocks they seek & discover. The pictures of the painter's artwork & the finder's happiness inspire us to create & share kindness. Take a look around. The smiles are contagious! There are labels we decoupage to the back of each rock. The label directs the rock finder to join our Facebook group, post a picture of the found rock & then they re-hide the rock for another lucky seeker to find! We hope the finder becomes a painter & a hider. If you ever plan to visit the Monaca/Beaver area of Pennsylvania, see if you are lucky enough to find one of my gorgeous rocks - HAPPY HUNTING!!! My Hashtags are #CORGIROCKS & #BEAVERCOUNTYROCKS.
#CorgiRocks & #BeaverCountyRocks
My Partner In Craft
& Crime
I have been married to my loving husband Noah for 14 years! Back in the day, Noah was a customer who came into my bank to do his daily deposits when he managed a local drug store. Often times, I would notice that he would let other patrons go ahead of him so that I could be HIS teller. After I noticed this was happening more & more frequently, I finally confronted him & asked him point-blank: "When the heck are you going to ask me out on a date?!?". Well, he finally found the courage to do so & the rest is history! So if I have known Noah for 14 years, that means I have officially worked in my banking career for nearly 20 years!!! I have worked at the bank so long, last week a customer asked me to check her balance, so I came out from behind my teller window & pushed her over!
We are the proud parents of 2 fur babies: Rowdy (9 years old) is a male Pembroke Tri-colored Corgi & Winston (6 years old) is a male Cardigan Sable Corgi. We also fondly remember Iggy (8 years old) yet another Loyal Corgi companion who is no longer with us but will forever remain in our hearts! Noah & I travel throughout the United States trying to find the weirdest & most unusual tourist attractions across America. We've stayed in a train hotel car on the famous Chattanooga Choo Choo in Tennessee, Paid our respects to Bob Ross (The famous PBS painter/instructor) at his cemetery grave in Florida, & have searched far & wide to capture a photograph of the ever-elusive Sasquatch & Yeti. We also love the outdoors! We own a RZR Side By Side All Terrain Cruiser which we have taken all over Pennsylvania & Ohio. We love getting dirty & muddy climbing the mountains while screaming our heads off...you should try it sometime...IT'S SO MUCH FUN!!!
Random Facts
About Me
~ I am OBSESSED with seashells. I own hundreds of individual specimens collected from my travels all over the world. If you ever have the opportunity to brush your teeth in my guest bathroom, you will find yourself COMPLETELY SURROUNDED by SHELLS!!!
~ I also collect Cobalt Glass. I love how sunshine passes through the azure blue hue. It reminds me of the deep blue ocean! Are you seeing a common interest here?...YES, I love any location near the beach or by the oceanside! I have been on vacation in Hawaii, Myrtle Beach, Florida, Rehoboth Beach In Delaware, Maine, & New Hampshire. Here are pictures of Noah & I on various beaches over the years!
Sandy Toes
&
Salty Kisses
~ I am PASSIONATE about Corgis! I own the actual live dogs, I decorate my home with them, I paint Corgi puppies on rocks, I even have bedsheets covered in adorable Corgi prints! Additionally, I have a deep affinity for garden gnomes...they protect my flower beds & greet my guests when they visit!
~ Wherever I travel I scour locations for those souvenir penny press squishier machines. The elongated tokens that emerge after cranking them through the manual mechanisms never fail to put a smile on my face! I have collected so many over the years, that Noah had to purchase me SEVERAL collection albums for me to store them all. Last time I counted I had a total of 232...& COUNTING!!!
